North India Statesman
Indian shooting delivered a memorable double-podium finish at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, as Himanshu Dhillon and former world champion Rudrankksh Patil claimed the silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the men’s 10m air rifle individual final. In a fiercely contested eight-man showdown, 20-year-old Asian Games debutant Himanshu held his nerve during the elimination stages to finish second with an aggregate score of 252.4 points. Compatriot Rudrankksh settled for third place with 230.9 points, while China’s reigning Olympic champion and world No. 1 Sheng Lihao retained his continental title, taking gold with a Games record score of 254.2 points.
The individual medal double rounded off a stellar morning at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery, arriving just hours after Himanshu and Rudrankksh partnered with 18-year-old Parth Mane to win silver in the men’s 10m air rifle team event with an aggregate of 1890.1 points.
High-Voltage Final: Rudrankksh Leads Early Before Chinese Charge
Rudrankksh Patil made an explosive start to the final, shooting 52.8 in the opening series and 53.2 in the second series to lead the field early with 106.0 points. Himanshu, who entered the final after qualifying in seventh place with 630.0, stayed steady in the chase pack alongside Sheng. As the single-shot elimination phase commenced, the Indian duo held the top two positions, with Himanshu landing back-to-back 10.9s to stay within striking distance of the lead.
The dynamic shifted around the 16th shot when Sheng Lihao surged ahead to take pole position with 168.8 points. When Mongolia’s Bayaraa Nyantai bowed out in fourth place, India was officially guaranteed two spots on the podium.
The 0.1-Point Margin: Himanshu Edges Rudrankksh for Silver
The battle for silver and bronze turned into a direct shootout between the two Indian compatriots behind Sheng. In the penultimate elimination round, a costly 9.7 from Rudrankksh coupled with a clinical 10.8 from Himanshu saw the standings swap.
Although Rudrankksh fought back with a 10.6 on his final attempt, Himanshu secured a 10.4, edging out his senior teammate by a razor-thin margin of 0.1 point (231.0 vs 230.9) to seal the bronze for Rudrankksh. Moving into the gold-medal duel, Sheng preserved his 1.8-point cushion to finish with 254.2, leaving Himanshu with a well-earned individual silver.
India’s Rifle Dominance Continues at Aichi-Nagoya
For Himanshu Dhillon, a wrestler-turned-shooter hailing from Jind, Haryana, the twin silvers mark a sensational major-games debut following his junior Asian Championship title earlier in 2026. For Rudrankksh Patil—who won team gold at Hangzhou 2023 and the 2022 World Championship in Cairo—the individual bronze and team silver add to his decorated international cabinet.
With Elavenil Valarivan and the Indian women’s 10m air rifle contingent having secured two silver medals on the opening day, India’s shooting tally at the 2026 Asian Games quickly swelled to five medals, reaffirming the nation’s standing as a continental rifle powerhouse.
